this Church. At first but few know it; but it soon becomes a matter of greater notoriety-then of general conversation-soon of difference of opinion-then of contention-finally of angry strife. Now the fires of party discord begin to burn-Church trials follow; but instead of extinguishing, they only increase the consuming flame. Some are expelled, others withdraw, officers of the Church resign, confusion prevails, till the edifice, by the fiery trials that God has permitted, or sent on them to chasten their pride, or reveal their delinquency, is well-nigh consumed; evincing the humiliating fact, that the materials are fearfully combustible, even wood, hay, and stubble! Where is your popular and flourishing Church now? Alas, like your habitation on fire, it is but little more than a heap of ruins, with only a few of the godly members, as gold, silver, precious stones, able to abide the fiery trial. But is this sketch too highly colored? My brethren, your own observations and recollections furnish but too many melancholy proofs of its truth. But why are these things so? Inattention to the apostolic caution, "Let every man take heed how he builds ;" and to the implication, "Let every man take heed how he is built thereon," furnishes the

answer.

2. For wise purposes, which the human mind cannot fully comprehend in this state of being, God permits, or sends seasons of fiery trial on the Churches at large. Witness the Church of Scotland, Puseyism in the Church of England, and the fiery trial of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States.

3. But there is a day of fiery trial personally awaiting all-the day of death. Many have boasted of the antiquity and order of their Church, the orthodoxy of their creed, their long and reputable standing among the people of God, who have shrunk with horror from this trying hour, and whose sun of life has gone down in clouds and darkness;

leaving the evidence but too clear that they were not of the pure gold of the spiritual temple, but only wood, hay, or stubble.

4. The day of judgment will be the final period of fiery trial. This day will try every man's work," because it will reveal every man's true character in the light of eternity, and be a practical exhibition, and an eternal application of that divine declaration, "Without holiness, no man shall see, or enjoy God." Then the pure "gold, silver, and precious stones"-all the holy, who have been built on Christ, the only foundation, and wrought into the spiritual temple, will be honored with a place in the Church triumphant-the temple of God's endless glory in heaven.

Then shall the faithful laborer receive his reward in exact proportion to his qualifications for, and faithfulness in his Master's work in this world. He had sown in tears; he had sacrificed all things earthly; he had prosecuted his work in the midst of opposition and reproach; nothing satisfied him but the conversion of sinners, and the sanctification of believers. But Christ was with him, God owned his labors, sustained and brought him in triumph from the toils of earth to the glories of heaven. The saints recognize him as the instrument of their salvation, and, as stars in his crown of rejoicing, they rise together above the flaming scene to the throne of endless glory, and shout, "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and made us kings and priests unto God, unto him be glory for ever and ever."

And O, my brethren, it would be delightful here to pause and linger till we are called from this vision of faith to the glorious realities of sight; but solemn duty compels us to turn to the fearful doom of a different character. Those will say, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works ?" But the Judge

will say unto them, "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity:" "I never knew you as the gold, silver, and precious stones of my spiritual temple, but as wood, hay, and stubble-as formal, fashionable, time-serving, self-indulging, superficial members of my temple-my visible Church. The time passed to prepare, and now, unholy, and unfit for heaven, depart from me, ye workers of iniquity, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"""These shall go away into everlasting punishment"-being banished "from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power" for ever. But in this awful scene, where is the shepherd of this scattered flock-the builder of these consuming materials-the unfaithful minister? And where is his reward? He has been unfaithful in improving his call; or, in applying himself to this holy work, he has not built with a skillful and faithful hand; he has not led the people of his charge into deep, experimental holiness, or he has been unfaithful in the administration of godly discipline. He has been afraid for his popularity, or has yielded to the unreasonable prejudices of the people-has not been careful to keep the unconverted and worldly-minded out of the Church, and has thus built with wrong materials, even wood, hay, stubble" has daubed with untempered mortar," and, consequently, his labor and ministerial reward are lost-hopelessly lost, for ever! But he, through want of moral courage, or some other circumstances, may have supposed, in these things, that, for the time-being, it was for the best; and, in consequence of this, and his deep repentance before his death, God, in his abundant mercy in Christ, saves him as a man snatched from the flames. O, what mercy that he is not doomed to perdition.

But remember, my hearers, at that day of decision, no man will be allowed to justify his follies, or crimes, on the ground of ministerial delinquency; for,, although a

faithful ministry is a powerful agency, under God, in bringing the willing and obedient to Christ, an unfaithful minister can take no man to hell unless he chooses to go there. In the day of judgment, the condemnation of the sinner will be the result of his own choice, and not the unfaithfulness of others. At that day, every man, whatever may have been his condition in life, must stand before the infinite Judge, and answer for himself; and, whatever influence circumstances may have had in his case, his destiny for eternity will turn on this principle: Ye would, or ye would not; you decided for yourself whether you would be saved by grace, or rebel against God. And, although agencies and circumstances may have facilitated your progress to heaven, or your plunge to perdition, still, all the influences of earth and hell never could have led to this result without your own decision. And on this principle God will fix the endless state of the human family in the day of eternal retribution.

And now, dear brethren, having detained you so long, we close with a word of admonition. Let every one examine himself, whether he is built on Christ, the rock of ages, and his heart purified by the Holy Spirit, as "gold and silver tried in the fire," and whether he is living by faith for a place in the temple of eternal glory. If there are doubts on your mind rest not for a moment till they are all dissipated. If your pathway is clear, and your prospect bright, wait, in the patience of hope, till the Judge calls you to receive the crown. With this hope, we commend you to God and the riches of his grace, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SERMON XIX.

BY REV. A. M. LORRAINE.

THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, AND ITS FRUITS.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea," Isaiah xi, 9.

THE whole superstructure of practical piety, and, consequently, of final salvation, is founded on the knowledge of God. We admit that the love of God can alone qualify us for the enjoyment of eternal life; but it may well be asked, How can we love God, unless we first know him? So fair, so lovely, is the character of our glorious Lord, that it is impossible for those who are in anywise under the reign of grace to know him without loving him. As the knowledge of God, then, is so absolutely necessary in the economy of salvation, our heavenly Father has condescended to spread the knowledge of himself throughout the world.

Be it our business, on the present occasion, to notice, I. SOME OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED CHANNELS THROUGH WHICH THIS KNOWLEDGE IS DISPENSED.

1. The Holy Bible is an inexhaustible fountain of divine knowledge. It is a matter of sincere regret to us, that even in this enlightened age of Christianity-even now, while the Gospel of Jesus Christ is forcing its way into almost every land, and waving its blood-stained banner over almost every people, there are those who not only neglect this precious treasure themselves, but are opposing the distribution of it to others. The Pope of Rome, in the plenitude of his imaginary power and holiness, has denounced the Bible Society as an enemy sowing tares among wheat." When we think of the awful consequences which these unhappy men are drawing down on their own